Program distribution system



Sept. 18, 1934. c. DE VRIENDT 1,974,062

PROGRAM DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM Filed July 8, 1935 MARG/NAL FIG. 2

c7 R LX3 70 L000 7 2 M A INVENTOR I E I C. DE VR/ENDT emdf ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 18, 1934 UNITED STATES PROGRAM DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM Charles de 'Vriendt,

Boulogne Billancourt,

France, assignor to Western Electric Company, Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application July 8,1933, Serial Noi 679,499

In France November 19, 1932 Claims.

This invention relates to the provision of theatrophone, radio rediiiusion, time and news service and the like to telephone subscribers via their telephone lines.

The object of the invention is to provide improved means for giving subscribers automatic access to such services and for giving the subscribers more complete control of the facilities at their disposal.

According to one feature of the invention, the subscribers are able to determine as desired, Whether or not program' or like service shall be interrupted by telephone calls. I

According to a further feature of the invention, a subscriber provided with program service is enabled to obtain any desired program by manipulating a simple key and the usual substation dial, and to break down the program connection by means of the said key.

Further features of the inventionwill be apparent from the following description of one'embodiment of the invention, with reference to the accompanying drawing which shows in Fig. 1, the equipment at the exchange individual to a program subscriber, and in Fig. 2, the substation equipment.

The system shown provides the following facilities:

1. The subscriber himself can automatically connect with any theatrophone, radio rediifusion or similar programs.

2. Retain the possibility of originating calls on his line at any moment.

3. Receive telephone calls during the reception of a program. I A i 4. Have the possibility to prevent incoming calls during a program. In such a case, the called subscriber would be indicated as busy to his correspondent. It is possible to arrange the sys- 40 tem so that such subscribers lines can be connected to a phonograph indicating to the calling party that his correspondent is listening to a program and does not wish to be disturbed, or the calls could be directedto an intercepting operator at the central office, who, in turn, could inform the subscriber later of the parties having called him during the time that he was listening to a program.

5. Means, are also provided for metering the special service given to any-entitled subscriber both according to time and to the class of service given. 1

6. A special signal either telephonic or coded is automatically sent to a subscribercalling for special service indicating whether or not the wanted service is operating or not at that moment.

DESCRIPTION or THE SYSTEM II .Equipment at the central ofiice A step by-step switch S (or alternatively, a set of relays) of suitable capacity according to the maximum number of programs desired, is provided per line, with a group of relays TZ, Lm, Lb. A further relay Nd is only equipped when the subscriber desires to have his incoming calls held back during a program. The normal cut-ofi re-. lay Co will have, instead of two break contacts, two change-over contacts. The normal line relayjL should have a resistance of 500 ohms. A lamp 0L can be added per line to detect a grounded a wire and to show also when key CK, common to a certain number of circuits, is actuated, which lines are listening to teleprograms. 'When any program service is available, the key SK corresponding thereto is operated.

METHOD OF OPERATION .Let it be assumed that the step-by-step switch S has 25 points which allows for about 20 different programs. The positions 1, 10 and 20 of the step-by-step switch will not be provided with connections for programs. The first position is used to discriminate whether or not the subscribe er wantsfto have interrupted or uninterrupted program service. Positions 10 and 20 are not equipped to avoid interfering with other subscribers during the dialing of a tens digit, whereas, if thesepositions were equipped, due to the frequent dialing of the tens digits, such programs would be interfered with by the incidental clicks. 105

The numbering scheme for 20 programs would be made as follows:

There could be two numbering scheme tables, the first being for calling different programs with uninterrupted service, the second table being .for no interrupted program service, permitting incoming telephone calls:

Interrupted Uninterrupted igg gi posfi: sibility of receiving incoming calls It will be noted, from the above tables, that in the case of uninterrupted service, the subscriber sends the prefix 1 before the program service number.

To originate an ordinary call, the subscriber removes the receiver in the usual way, causing relay L to operate: battery, winding of TZ, 002, subscribers loop col, winding of L, Zbl, tZl, earth. Relay Tl, is marginal and does not operate in series with relay L. The line relay L originates the call to the exchange equipment in the normal manner.

When relay C0 is operated via ndl, all the special equipment for the re-transmission of pro-- grams is disconnected from the line and dialing and. conversation will take place exactly as for a normal subscribers line.

If the subscriber desires to choose a program or the like, he throws key CT without removing his receiver. Earth is now connected to the following circuits in parallel (a) winding of relay A, oil, 1) wire, col, winding of L, Zbl, tll, earth. (b) winding of retard R, ct3, contact of dial D, ct2, a wire, 002, winding of TZ, battery. Relay TZ operates and relay L being short-circuited does not energize. Relay TZ operates relay Lb and lights lamp OL temporarily. The subscriber dials without receiving dial tone.

If the subscriber wants uninterrupted program service, the number will have two, three or four digits. If, on the contrary, he desires to receive incoming calls during the program, the choice will be made by numbers of one, two or three digits as will be apparent from the table set out above. Numeral 1 is used for the first digit only in the case of uninterrupted program service.

Let us assume that the subscriber dials for uninterrupted service. The impulse corresponding to the digit 1 releases T1 and operates magnet SPM temporarily. At the end of the impulse, magnet SPM is released and the switch takes onestep forward on to contacts 1. ()n the release of relay Lm which operated in parallel with magnet SPM, relay Nd energizes: earth, right hand winding of Nd, ndZ unoperated, wiper a, lml ,winding of Tl, battery. Relay Nd locks: battery, left hand winding of Nd, off normal contact ON, ndZ operated, right hand winding of Nd, earth. Relay Nd opens its normal contact 1 thus cutting 011 the relay Co from the third wire of the .subscribers multiple. Contact mil 3 also connects characteristics of a busy line (either of a normal subscribers line or the first or last of a P. B. X. group) to the third wire of the subscribers multiple. The remaining digit or digits are then dialed. If a second digit 9, or second digit 9 and third digit 0 are included in the number, the switch rests on contacts '10 and perhaps 20 during the interdigital periods.

When the wanted position of the switch is reached, brushes a and b of the switch connect the'subscribers line wires to the secondary winding of transformer TS of the desired program, the primary transformer Winding being connected over contacts of the operated program key SK to the program circuit PRG if the program is at the time available. The line wires are connected via ctl and ct3 of operated key CT at the substation to the subscribers loud speaker or amplifier.

If the subscriber wishes to receive telephone calls while listening to a program, he does not dial the prefix 1. Relay Nd is, therefore, not operated and an incoming call will operate the relay Co and break down the program connection. When the relay Co operates, relay A at the subscribers station is energized via ctl, wire b, 001 and the direct current feed from the central office. The subscriber will notice the incoming call since the program will be automatically disconnected and at the same time a visual or audible signal will be put into operation by relay A. The subscriber may then establish his connection by restoring key CT to its normal position and remove his telephone from the switch hook. The operation of relay Co on an incoming call releases relay TZ which in turn releases Lb. Earth is now connected via tZl, lbl, wiper c, ofi normal bank of the switch, interrupter contacts and winding of magnet SPM, battery. The switch now homes and on reaching its normal position stops. The program equipment is now at normal. If the subscriber wishes to originate a call during interrupted or uninterrupted program service, he restores key CT to normal position. Relays Tl and Lb are thereby released in turn and switch SPlVI homes. If relay Nd was operated, the opening of contacts ON releases it thus re-connecting relay Co to the third wire of the subscribers multiple. The subscriber then removes his telephone receiver, waits for dial tone or the reply of the manual operator and the call is set up in normal fashion. The stepby-step program selector is automatically returned to normal each time key CT is restored to normal by the subscriber and also each time relay Co is operated as in the case of an incoming call.

During program selection relay Nd is not operated. By means of these circuits a subscriber can be given access to theatrophone service, radio redifiusion service, time, news service or the like. Change from one program to another can be obtained by restoring key CT momentarily, after which the number of the new service required is dialed.

The .step-by-step switch S may be provided with a special brush e for metering purposes by means of an arrangement shown on the drawing and in which, when the transmission feeder is connected either automatically or manually by key SK to the primary winding of the transformer connecting the output circuit to the a and b brushes of the switch, the terminal of the bank of wiper e may be connected to a time impulsing device which sends impulses at given intervals to the service meter SMl connected to wiper e, which therefore will. record'the time and class of the selection received. In dotted lines there are shown connected to the same wiper and terminal, a wattmeter WM and a resistance to battery. This wattmeter of any approved type, may indicate the duration and the class of the selection received by simply connecting a given resistance to battery to the terminal in the bank of the wiper e. The resistances or impulsing devices associated with the keys SK of different program circuits may be chosen with respect to the value of the several programs so that a subscriber will be charged for the service accordingly.

What is claimed is:

1. In a combined telephone and program distributing system, a telephone line, program service and telephone service selectable over said line, means for establishing a program service connection over said line, and means operated during the establishment of said program service connection for predetermining whether or not said program service connection may be interrupted by an incoming telephone service connection.

2. In a combined telephone and program distributing system, a telephone line, program service and telephone service selectable by the subscriber over said line, means for establishing a program service connection over said line, and means under the control of said subscriber in the establishment of said program service connection to predetermine whether or not said program service connection may be interrupted by an incoming telephone service connection.

3. In a combined telephone and program distributing system, a telephone line, program service and telephone service selectable by the subscriber over said line, means for establishing a program service connection over said line, and means under the control of said subscriber in the establishment of said program service connection to at will mark said line busy or idle to selectively incoming calls.

4. In a combined telephone and program distributing system, a telephone line, program service and telephone service selectable by the subscriber over said line, means for establishing a program service connection over said line, means under the control of said subscriber in the establishment of said program service connection to place a false busy condition on said line, and means responsive to the initiation of an outgoing call to restore said program service connecting means to normal and remove said false busy condition.

5'. In a combined telephone and program distributing system, a telephone line, program service and telephone service selectable by dial impulses over said line, means for establishing a particular program service connection over said line by dialing any one of a plurality of codes, and means effective in accordance with the code dialed for predetermining whether or not said program service may be interrupted by an incoming telephone service connection.

6. In a combined telephone and program distributing system, a telephone line, program service and telephone service selectable by dial impulses over said line, means for establishing a particular program service connection over said line by dialing any one of a plurality of codes, and means operated when said program service connection is established in response to the dialing of only a particular one of said codesfor marking said line busy to incoming calls.

7. In a combined telephone and program distributing system, a telephone line, program service and telephone service selectable over said line, a switch for establishing a program service connection over said line, and means operated in a particular position of said switch for preventing the interruption of said program service connection by an incoming telephone service connection.

8. In a combined telephone or program distributing system, a telephone line, program service and telephone service selectable over said line, a switch for establishing a program service connection over said line, and means operated in a particular position of said switch for marking said line busy to incoming calls.

9. In a combined telephone and program distributing system, a telephone line, program service and telephone service selectable by dial impulses over said line, a switch operable in response to one or more dialed digits to establish a program service connection over said line, and means effective if said switch is operated by a particular first digit for preventing the interruption of said program service connection by an incoming telephone service connection.

10. In a combined telephone or program distributing system, a telephone line, program service and telephone service selectable by dial impulses over said line, a switch operable in response to one or more dialed digits to establish a program service connection over said line, and means efiective if said switch is operated by a particular first digit for marking said line busy to incoming calls.

CHARLES DE VRIENDT. 

